7 Crisis:

Matthias" love potion was really powerful! Here was the king, despite his dislike for women, confessing his love for Iris and asking for her hand in marriage before the large number of guests at the ball. The potion really had a deep effect on the mind. It was rather unexpected. (Zuben: Poor Earl Selma, you"ve been cheated out of a rich wife)

It could have been worse! If Ernest had taken the love potion while staring at his sister, there would have been a tragedy! (Zuben: Somehow I doubt it would have worked that way)

With the great crime of incest averted, Iris was relieved, but then she realised the situation she was in was not quite right either,

‘Um, your Majesty, would you please put me down for a moment?"

Ernest had been quietly carrying her up marble staircases, down opulent corridors, headed somewhere. Was it a retiring room or was it his bedroom? Either way, Iris could only imagine his purpose; he had spoken about his body being hot which was only due to the love potion. If she did not stop things now, it will be a real challenge afterwards.

But Ernest gave an outrageous reply to Iris, ‘Please call me Ernest."

‘Oh no, I could not poss-!" Ernest kissed her. She could not possibly call the King by his name,

‘Aren"t you going to be my wife?" he asked when they parted.

‘That-"

‘I would like my beloved wife called me by my name. But if your lips do not want to call my name, would they prefer being kissed?" (Zuben: Hmmmm? I say being kissed. She"s gonna get kissed whether she calls your name or not; so, win-win)

Iris flushed pink at his sweet threat,

‘Er-Ernest…" she called.

‘How unbearable. I seem to have inadvertently discharged at the sound of your voice calling my name." (Zuben: premature e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n?)

What was he saying? Iris reddened even deeper up to her ears at his stimulating words. Although, it was all because of the love potion, he seems to have become quite the tyrant.

‘Iris, once more,"

‘Eh-!"

‘Would you rather be kissed?"

He took her lips without waiting for a reply, still walking on to his destination.

Iris was aware of danger, and called his name in a panic,

‘Ernest!"

‘The sound of your voice makes me feel good; your lips are sweeter than honey."

Ernest continued to kiss her and chuckle in satisfaction. Was the language centre of the brain also affected by the love potion? She did not know Ernest well, so it was impossible to know how far out of character this aroused version of Ernest was. However, the sweet kisses were soon sweeping Iris away, but she remembered the situation.

‘Ernest,could I ask that you please put me down?"

Ernest looked down at Iris in his arms, ‘I would be disqualified as a man if I should drop a light lady like you."

She did not think that was the problem. Iris was taller than Leticia, though she did not have flesh in the right places, she would not be light. (Zuben: Would this be more or less than 30kg?) In addition, it made her think of her father who had carried her like this in her childhood. Ernest smiled down at Iris whose gaze wandered with nostalgia and embarra.s.sment.

‘Let"s think of it this way; I am training for the time when my child is growing in your belly, and it is my role to carry you like this for all eternity."

Ernest"s body certainly felt more robust that he appeared. His chest against her cheek felt firm, the arms around her back and knees felt strong.

But it sounded as though he was deliberately misunderstanding her,

‘But that"s not what I am talking about-"

‘If that is the case, I can listen when we get to my bedroom." he replied.

Iris" blushing cheeks paled.

‘No! No! I would prefer it if you listen to me right now."

‘I see, as soon as we get to the bedroom, I will put you down on the bed as you wish." Ernest said with a devious smirk.

It wasn"t it though, Iris thought nervously,  

‘Or would you prefer to be on your knees than the bed?" (Zuben: Dude, that"s a little much for a first timer.)

How far did this love potion manipulate a person"s heart?! Just because she wanted him to put her down; he was asking whether on the bed or on her knees. She knew from standing near him earlier, he was considerably taller than her, so she could not jump off and run away.

As a result, Iris became paler, and when she imagined what would happen in the bedroom, she blushed.

They came to large doors where two guards and a lady-in-waiting stood in attention. The lady opened the doors somewhat gladly, and went ahead to them to open the bedroom doors. Once they were inside, she curtsied and quietly closed the doors.

‘We"re here." he said

Iris cast a nervous look around. She had to comment that it looked as expected; exquisitely crafted furniture arranged in a tasteful masculine style. The canopied bed dominated the room, and looked large enough for six adults to sleep in comfortably.

Ernest approached the bed and placed Iris in the gently down in the middle.

Oh right! The situation was getting dire.

‘Please wait, Ernest-eek!"

Her shoes were taken off before she knew it, and Ernest was lying over her. She gave him a panic-stricken look,

‘What"s wrong?" he asked.

‘You said you would listen to what I had to say…"

Why was he trying to undo the ribbons that held the bodice of her dress? Was it alright to bat his hands away even though he was the King? (Zuben: yes.) Iris tried to stave off his roaming hands.

‘Oh-yes. If you have something to tell me, do so now." He announced.

But it did not look like he was paying any attention. Despite his words, he did not stop trying to undress her. On the contrary, he began to undo the b.u.t.tons of her dress until it was opened to her abdomen. Iris let out an exclamation of disbelief and grabbed the unruly man"s hands,

‘Iris?"

‘Your Majesty, you are rumoured not to like women. I am also one of that cla.s.s of human, so what is happening here…?"

She wanted him remember that he did not like women and supplant the effects of the love potion.

But he began to kiss Iris" soft cheeks and blew away the whisper of hope in her heart.

‘That is correct, I don"t like women, but I do like you,"

‘But that"s…" because of the love potion.

What should I do?

Why did she fail?

She knew she could not tell Ernest the truth, ‘I"m sorry, Ernest, I really cannot marry you."

(Zuben: The truth will set you free...sometimes)

♔

8 Threat:

‘Why?" Ernest asked with a dark frown. Iris held her clothes and pushed at his hand desperately trying to get out from under him. The tone of his voice made her shudder.

It seemed Iris had stepped on a mine she hadn"t known was there. While his expression scared her, she looked at him firmly,

‘I know that this is not common amongst the aristocracy, but I work as a lace maker. I cannot be Queen and do my work as well."

It was blasphemous to refuse His Majesty"s proposal. There was a possibility that her family"s aristocratic status will be stripped. Even so, Iris could only save herself. Marrying Ernest and becoming Queen, not being able to make lace would be tantamount to losing her life.

She waited in silence for Ernest to reply, but contrary to expectations, he looked at her sweetly and smiled,

‘I see."

‘Ernest…?"

‘I don"t mind you continuing your work."

‘What?"

Was he telling her the truth? Even though many aristocratic men thought that Iris was going above herself with her work. Ernest who was king could not possibly think differently. She could not believe that he did not mind. While she sat still in surprise, Ernest kissed her cheek,

‘Outside your official duties as Queen, you"re basically free to do as you wish. So you can live exactly as you did at home."

‘B-but…"

‘Although, what you do with the money you earn is up to you, I think it would be better if you donated part of it to community projects, thereby, raising your reputation as Queen; killing two birds with one stone."

Iris had her inheritance, so she had never been bothered about her earnings. What mattered was that she was able to create lace. It was everything to her. That she was permitted to continue moved her. It was the first time receiving such easy allowance from a man.

Still, it was useless. (Zuben: My dear, you got what you want. Lie back and think of Berghausen!)

‘Ernest, I am very grateful, but I still don"t think…" she suited being Queen.

She had thought she was going to get a simple convenient husband so she could do as she wanted. She had not planned on being Queen by manipulation. But, she could not explain this to Ernest.

While her mind was troubled, Ernest s.n.a.t.c.hed his hand from her grasp and plucked out the pins and accessories holding her hair up.

She gasped in surprise as her hair came down and Ernest spread her dark hair across the bed.

‘Perhaps, at this moment, the guests are celebrating my engagement." he said as he kissed her hair and gave her a gentle smile.

‘For me, our first night together is better with just the two of us." he said with eyes darkened with l.u.s.t making her feel hot inside, ‘but if you prefer, I could take you back to the ballroom looking like this."

‘What do you mean?"

Her dark gloomy hair was down, her dress unb.u.t.toned. She could not return to the ball in this state! What was he trying to tell her?

Just imagining such a thing made chills run down her spine.

Ernest stroked her soft cheek, while Iris stiffened her body.

‘Would you prefer if I took your virginity before everyone, so that they can all be witness that you are mine?" He asked darkly, with a tilt of his head. His short silver hair shook with the motion. (Zuben: I don"t think threats are a good way to start a relationship)

It seemed that he was angrier than Iris imagined.

Ernest ran a bony finger along Iris speechless full lips,

‘Which would you prefer, Iris?"

Ernest"s charming voice pierced Iris" eardrums, ‘Will you show your all just to me or would you prefer to show everything to all the guests in the ballroom? I"ll do which ever you want."

This love potion was a terrible thing, Iris concluded.

It should not be used easily.

Iris found herself between a rock and a hard place. (Zuben: Hurr-hurr)

Ernest smiled and took her lips.

She gasped as he kissed her, sucking on her lips. He had told her his body was hot, and she felt the proof for his lips were burning against hers as he forced her lips open. He traced her teeth with his hot tongue, making her tremble. A moan emerged from the back to her throat. What was this feeling? Iris thought puzzled.

Ernest pulled back a little and stroked Iris" cheek, his breath was hot against her skin as he commanded, ‘Iris, give me your tongue."

‘What?"

What did she want her to do?

Because of the previous kissing, her brain was oxygen deprived. Her brain was sluggish. Iris was also afraid that he would take her to the salon and have her there, so she opened her mouth and held out her tongue.

The moment she did, Ernest"s lips caught her tongue. As he sucked and entwined her tongue with his, a sweet paralysis swept through her body. Iris was shaken by the sensation and wanted to push him away, but Ernest grabbed both her wrists in his hand.

It seemed that Ernest wanted to taste her tongue without any resistance. When she thought that he was going to melt her tongue with his heated one, he sweetly nibbled on her. (Zuben: This is not a turn on) Iris felt like her brain was about to disintegrate. Soon, because of the lack of oxygen, Iris was exhausted. Ernest pulled back satisfied, releasing her tongue noisily.

‘You"re so sweet, not just your lips but your tongue tastes like honey." he said with such joy in his s.e.xy face. He looked like he had made a new discovery. His expression caused gave Iris a l.u.s.ty blow causing an ache within her. Even the resistance she initially had because of the love potion was blown away. Iris stared in blank surprise as he pulled open her dress.

‘Please don"t…" she protested weakly, as he opened her corset to reveal her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She tried to cover her body, but Ernest was holding her wrists. Because of that her violet eyes moistened with tears for the first time that night.

‘Please don"t look at me...please."

It was awful. Her voice trembled but she could not help it; she didn"t want him to look at her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She was about to cry. But Ernest stared at her humble b.r.e.a.s.t.s as though he wanted to burn a hole in there. Iris bit her lips in mortification.

‘Do you really not want me to see you naked?"

‘I don"t"

‘Why?"

‘Why. Why…?" Iris was stunned at the question. He should understand without asking. Even if she used the best corset, rich full b.r.e.a.s.t.s that jiggle would not appear. Unlike, Leticia with her soft, full, feminine body, these small b.r.e.a.s.t.s that lose to even ladies younger than she, was miserable enough.

Oh why…(Zuben: Oh why oh why am I such a pitiful soul)

His mind should be crazed with l.u.s.t from the love potion, but he was staring at her body calmly. If she had given the potion to Nicholas Selma, he was supposed to take her body without any thought to look closely at it. It should be the same even though the man was different. Although, he was under the effect of the love potion, there was clarity in his golden eyes - Iris had unintentionally forgotten that he was the King.

Ernest chucked and licked his lips, looking like a hungry carnivorous animal looking at his prey.

‘Apparently, you don"t know much about men, do you?"

‘What does that mean…?" He was being impossible to understand.

Ernest"s hot breath tickled the skin of her chest.

‘Big b.r.e.a.s.t.s are not everything…" he said as he took a breast in his mouth. As he sucked on her skin, a deep pain shot through her.

What was he doing? What did Ernest like…? She wanted to ask, but he sucked on her skin harder,

‘Oh!" she cried, as the pain grew and then his thick tongue licked the area. A strange sensation grew within her making a high-pitch sound emerge from her throat.

‘Your skin is so pale-Hmm, it became a pretty colour." Ernest said staring happily at her. His voice was full of joy, and Iris again grew in awe of the love potion.

Ernest who did not like women had vanished. While the fever slowly began to dominate her body, Iris blankly stared at Ernest on top of her.

‘This is proof you are mine now." he said. He noticed Iris" gaze and gave her a smile like he was relieved.

‘Ernest, I am…"

‘Shall we go back to the ball?"

She was not his.

He was a man that should not be hers, Iris wanted to say with her left-over logic, but he threatened her again. She hurriedly kept quiet. Ernest gave a quiet chuckle. He had a teasing look in his eyes as he asked an indelicate question,

‘Is it because they are small?"

What kind of question was this? They were clearly small, Iris" indignation was raised. Ernest leaned close so his lips were kissing her eyes as he said,

‘For me, this size is just right."

Iris blinked in surprise. Her expression softened as Ernest looked at her chest with a gaze full of love, ‘I can feel everything you have with my hand. It"s more rea.s.suring that bigger b.r.e.a.s.t.s. These are just right for me."

She disliked her small b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She had always been ashamed of them. When she realised the difference between her and Leticia, she had become miserable (Zuben: Ah Iris, the misery never ends). Even so, Ernest had said he preferred hers. He did not mind her work; he did not mind how she lived. Even though she knew it was because of the love potion, she felt as though the knot in her chest crumbled and broke down.

‘But since it is a worry of my beloved wife," Ernest gave her a grin. Iris" sixth sense p.r.i.c.kled at his smile, it looked like he was plotting something nefarious, ‘Since it bothers you, there is something I can do."

She wondered what he meant.

He gave a gentle smile at her confused expression, and then untied the ribbons of her corset. Once her skin was exposed, he released her wrists and reached for her modest twin mounds.

Index ♔